Pitsligo Castle's "Secret room"!
This shot shows the south-west corner of the keep. The window at top-right has always been known to my family, as the 'secret window', for the reason that there is no trace of this window or the ‘Secret room’ to which it must belong, on the inside. For many years, my brother and I, convinced that there had to be a way down into it from the top, had plans to make a visit with climbing ropes but never got around to it!
Then a couple of years ago, I heard from someone who used to live nearby who told me that as a “young loon” he used to wriggle in through the square opening visible below, from where he was able to climb up “what seemed like a narrow lum” which duly emerged into a small room about 8ft long and 3ft wide, liberally carpeted with pigeon shit! There was no other opening, other than the little window. It was known to the local children as the “Priesties hole”!
It turns out however, that the real purpose of the secret room was rather more prosaic. It was not a hiding place for catholic priests it was a loo! And the ‘chimney’ below, up which young Master Innes once climbed, never carried smoke, it was a chute for . . . for . . . well, I leave it to your imagination! Ones and twos! Apparently, if the stonework is examined on the inside of the castle, it can be seen where at some stage the garderobe was built up.
(He tells me there are two other “secret passages” in the castle complex!)
The window in the left (west) wall is the only light to a very narrow dark stair that climbs up within the walling from the basement, through the west and then north walls, to emerge (curiously above floor level) in the Hall.
Pitsligo Castle's "Secret room"!
This shot shows the south-west corner of the keep. The window at top-right has always been known to my family, as the 'secret window', for the reason that there is no trace of this window or the ‘Secret room’ to which it must belong, on the inside. For many years, my brother and I, convinced that there had to be a way down into it from the top, had plans to make a visit with climbing ropes but never got around to it!
Then a couple of years ago, I heard from someone who used to live nearby who told me that as a “young loon” he used to wriggle in through the square opening visible below, from where he was able to climb up “what seemed like a narrow lum” which duly emerged into a small room about 8ft long and 3ft wide, liberally carpeted with pigeon shit! There was no other opening, other than the little window. It was known to the local children as the “Priesties hole”!
It turns out however, that the real purpose of the secret room was rather more prosaic. It was not a hiding place for catholic priests it was a loo! And the ‘chimney’ below, up which young Master Innes once climbed, never carried smoke, it was a chute for . . . for . . . well, I leave it to your imagination! Ones and twos! Apparently, if the stonework is examined on the inside of the castle, it can be seen where at some stage the garderobe was built up.
(He tells me there are two other “secret passages” in the castle complex!)
The window in the left (west) wall is the only light to a very narrow dark stair that climbs up within the walling from the basement, through the west and then north walls, to emerge (curiously above floor level) in the Hall.